


Feelings For U

by frozengay



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, LGBT, OUAT - Freeform, Romance, Swan Queen - Freeform, Swen - Freeform, regina is a softie, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28898304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozengay/pseuds/frozengay
Summary: Hook always ends up drunk and pining for Emma at the mayoral mansion, and Regina is starting to realize she’s a little more than annoyed with his antics.OrRegina simps for Emma and Henry is filled with teen angst
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 120





	Feelings For U

It hadn't been the first time Regina had slammed the door in Killian's face when he came to find Emma after a spat. He was usually drunk off his ass, and yet still nursing a half empty bottle of rum varying in sizes depending on what ungodly hour he chose to make an appearance. 

Tonight was no different. 

Regina sighs, impatient and smouldering, "How many times, pray tell, will you show up here? I don't want my son exposed to greasy hapless pirates so early on."

Killian's lip curls in disgust, "Just tell me where she is. She's my fiancé, I have the right to know!" He says, voice near whining. 

"As I have told you for the past two weeks every time you stumble upon my doorstep," Regina pauses to flicker her eyes over the man's appearance, spotting the black engagement ring glistening under the porch light and tapping against the glass bottle, "I do not know where Miss. Swan is. Now go, before I use your entrails as your own noose and shackles." 

She slams the door in his face, turning and pressing her back against it with a heavy breath. Her fingertips were itching to cast a curse on him; to kill him or mame him in any way possible. But she never did, because for some reason Emma loved that belligerent fool.

Zelena looks up from the couch, her lips twitching up in a smirk, "If I didn't know any better dear sister, I'd think you were protecting Swan."

Regina narrows her eyes, pushing off the door to venture into the living room, plucking up Zelena's half-full wine glass from her hand. "I'm not protecting her. She's just-"

Zelena lifts a hand, waving it around pointlessly "-Mother of your child, The Saviour, Charming in Training, Mom I'd like to fu-" 

Regina claps a hand over her sister's mouth, "Do not finish that sentence, Zelena." Her tone is warning, though whatever her sister had been going for seemed to work as a deep pink tints her cheeks,  
"Would you rather me throw her to that... vermin of a man that enjoys torturing her for his own strange whims?" 

Zelena shrugs, conjuring up another glass of wine in her hand, "Maybe she's into it." Her eyebrows wiggle suggestively. Regina smacks her arm.

"Watch it." 

Zelena's eyes soften at the way Regina's face seems to fall, "Look," she says, "Swan is as strong as Hook is persistently annoying. She'll be fine," she offers, patting Regina's thigh in an awkward form of comfort.

Regina nods, eyes sticking to the flames of the fireplace as if they're ancient tomes fluttering by, "Mother always said- Love is weakness." Zelena says, sipping her wine, "But then again, mother was also a tactless old crone that probably needed to be laid desperately." 

Regina breathes out a laugh from her nose, shaking her head fondly at her sister as she stands, making her way out of the living room, "Good night, Zelena." 

But nothing about night was good anymore. Once a time where she could escape the regality of being Queen, escape the hatred for those around her- escape Snow and her family. And yet, the only thing that night brought her was Emma; eyes warm and stupidly soft curls framing her face. 

-

She didn't know quite what spurred her on the next day, but she felt her entire body running on adrenaline after another night of tossing around before giving up and going over reports for work. Reports that have Emma's chicken scratch and little smiley faces dancing around the page in animations that only Emma would use magic for. One report, regarding Gold, had her in near tears from reading;

Dirty old man selling his stupid cursed stuff again to the dwarfs. Literally had to confiscate adderall from Sleepy- (also, who decided not to tell the creators over at Disney that fairytale characters also have drug and alcohol problems? Man, that wouldve made my mom's story so much better: This Just In! Snow White Has A Pill Pushing Problem? Sleeping Curse or Opiad Addictions?) 

She was sure she should fire Emma for innapropriate work ethics- but then again, the one time she did hang back at the Sheriff's office with Emma after a particular annoying encounter with a fire atronach, Emma had been looking up from her report every few seconds to beam at Regina.

Her eyes crinkled at the sides, little indents by her nose showing when they'd meet eyes; something in those brown orbs that made Regina's heart clench in her chest- 

Oh god, I'm so utterly fucked. 

"Hi mom!"

Regina jumps on the spot out of her reverie,   
"Henry, good morning dear." She places a quick kiss to his forehead, her nerves already subsiding at the sweet smile he's shooting her.

"Morning! Can I have chocolate chips in my oatmeal today?" He asks, flopping down on one of the breakfast nook stools and flashing his best smile. Regina rolls her eyes, placing the hot bowl of oatmeal with berries on the counter. 

"I'm not sure how Emma does things over.. there," she refuses to acknowledge the home she shares with the pirate, "But here you get all your daily vitamins so you can continue growing into a beautiful boy." 

He pulls a face, but doesn't back away as she gives him a hug and that alone makes her stomach twist in delight, "Y'know, mom would probably enjoy having dinner over here," Henry says over a bite of oatmeal, to which Regina fixes him a pointed look, though she is far too busy contemplating it to actually scold him. "I haven't gotten to see her a lot lately..." he finishes with a frown, poking at his breakfast with half-hearted interest. Regina frowns, reaching out to rub her son's shoulder soothingly.

Could I? No, no, I couldn't possibly just show up at her door and ask her point blank if she'd like to join me for dinner... 

Which is exactly why two hours later, she found herself waiting impatiently in Emma's office with a container of apple straddles she'd stress baked over the mere idea of actually going through with this silly idea. 

It was 10 on the dot, and Regina was nothing if not punctual. Emma's shift was starting, and it was a Thursday so it was rather calm in Storybrooke- not that she had done any calculations, of course. It was simply her business to know, or so she would convince herself.

Emma came bounding into the station, humming a song from someone distinctly familiar- Boy in Blue? Gal in Green? 

"Girl in red!" Regina exclaims, causing Emma to fumble with the clock in sheet and drop it to the ground

"Regina!" Emma gasps, clutching at her chest and letting out a nervous laugh, "What are you doing here?" 

Emma had a huge smile on her face, and Regina wondered briefly how it was possible for someone to always be so happy to see her. 

Emma furrowed a brow, dropping her coat onto the swivel chair at the desk. "Gina? You... okay?"

Regina had been sitting agape across from the Sheriff's desk for far longer than comfortable. She clamps her mouth shut, offering Emma a brief smile. 

"Perfectly fine, Miss. Swan."   
Regina gnaws on her bottom lip, before quickly standing. Emma looks at her funnily, 

"Are you sure? You're acting... a bit weird, even for you." Emma smiles teasingly, her eyes twinkling with a mischief that makes Regina's skin crawl in the best way. 

"Yes, perfectly fine. In fact," she straightens her back and raises her chin, trying to remember all the etiquette lessons that had been crammed into her from more than twenty eight years ago, "I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight."

Emma raises her eyebrows,cocking her head to the side "Really? Dinner with you?"

"And Henry!" Regina is hasty to correct, a blush colouring her cheeks that made her feel suddenly small, "He suggested it, actually."

That had been true for the most part, though the incessant need to see Emma Swan and talk to Emma Swan and care for Emma Swan had been following her like a storm cloud for longer than she wanted to admit. Emma's eyes narrowed in a way that made Regina feel like she knew exactly what was rattling around in her head. Emma walks around the table, leaning against it so there's only a few inches separating them 

"I'd love to." Emma's voice is soft, her breath a whisper away. Regina suddenly felt drunk, like the coffee she had this morning was just straight rum.   
Emma smelt of the forest and something sweet and uniquely her. 

For a moment, Regina's eyes flickered away from pools of warmth to the desk behind her. It would be so easy to lean forward, to capture Emma's lips and lift her up on the desk and press a thigh between her's until she's writhing.

Maybe it would be perfectly fine if she closed the gap between them... 

"Is that for me?" Emma asks, practically purring in Regina's ear.

"Huh?" 

Emma looked bemused, moving her head back to nod down at the Tupperware still tucked firmly and somewhat lopsidedly under Regina's arm. 

"Oh..." Regina murmurs, fumbling a bit with it due to their proximity and handing it to the blonde woman. "Yes. Apple straddles." 

Emma laughs warmly, accepting it with vigour and popping the lid off. She takes one between her fingers, delighted to find it still warm and dives into it. Regina's lips quirk in an awkward attempt at a smile at the moan that her desert draw's from slightly parted lips. 

Emma sets it back into the container then the container onto the desk, leaving Regina floundering and stuck watching the way Emma licks her fingers clean. 

"What, no apple turnover this time?" 

Regina rolls her eyes, though they gleam with affection "No I figure if I'm too impatient to wait for the poison to work. I've cultivated that inviting you into my home under false pretence and security will make it that easier to curse you with my bare hands."   
Regina winks, placing her hands on her hips as that same flame that Emma always is able to spark up burns in her chest.

Emma crosses her arms defiantly. "You just revealed your master plan to me. How do you expect to get me into your house now?" 

Regina, with a burst of renewed confidence she didn't realize she could still have when it came to Emma Swan, says, "I can be very persuasive, Miss Swan."

Regina swears Emma's pupils burst at her word's, or perhaps it was just the door to the station bursting against the wall. They jump apart right as David round's the corner. "Oh, hey Regina!" He smiles- though it's still a bit more reserved than when Snow started hugging her every chance she gets, "Good to see you." 

Regina nods her greeting, quickly plucking up her purse off the floor and making for the door. She turns as Emma falls into her morose work day.  
"Be there at seven pm sharp, Miss. Swan."

Emma brightens despite her father's presence, and just like that, the flame turns to a fire beneath her heart on her way out the door.

It only occurred to Regina as she steps out into the cool air that Emma Swan was about to be in her house, and for some reason that made her feel like she was about to pass out on Main Street.

-

"Mom! Ma is here!" 

Regina exhales from her nose, fluffing her hair up a bit from where it lay in rivulets on her shoulders. It was dinner- sure, and yet while riffling through her closet she was looking for whatever had the highest price tag and looked the most fitting for a queen. A black dress that pooled around her feet and trained behind her a few feet, with some heels in the same blood red that painted her lips. 

She slipped out from the bathroom, the house filled with the smell of the lasagna sitting on the cooling wrack- Emma's favourite. 

"Regina! Hi!" Emma didn't mean to sound so breathless, looking up at where Regina was apparently planted with a hand gripping the banister, "You look amazing." 

Regina clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth, making her way down to the entry way, "And I see you're wearing... that." 

Regina didn't mean to sound so scornful, either, but looking at the floral print on Emma's blouse was doing things to her that she couldn't control. 

"Oh, this?" Emma looked down at her shirt and tugged at it a bit as if it felt foreign on herself, "Yeah, Killian likes when I dress... up, I guess."

Regina purses her lips together, purple sparks emanating from her palms. "Dinner?" She says through her teeth, balling her hands into tight fists by her sides.

"Please." Emma smiles, wrapping an arm around Henry's shoulder and pulling him along to the kitchen behind the other woman.

Emma slips into one of the chairs, her stomach growling at the smell in the air. Regina smirks bemusedly from where she's hovering over a salad in the works. Emma flushes, looking at Henry, "So, kid, feels like I haven't seen you in forever. What's new?" 

Henry scoffs, to which both his mother's eyebrows raise in shock as he says, "Maybe if you spent a little more time with us instead of Hook it wouldnt be that way." 

Regina gapes, narrowing her eyes at Henry, "Henry Mills, you do not speak to your mother that way." 

Henry levels her with a glare of his own, "It's true and you know it! She's been neglecting us because of him ever since she brought him back to life!" 

Emma is staring down at the table, her fork clenched in her fist and Regina doesn't think she can take the crestfallen expression on her face a moment longer. 

"Henry, go to your room. Now."

Emma glances up, "Regina-"

Regina doesn't spare her a look, eyes boring holes into Henry's forehead until he meets her gaze. With a groan, he pushes his chair back until it topples and stomps up the stairs to his room.

"You didn't have to do that. He's right." Emma says after a moment, her eyes firmly planted on the stem of her wine glass.

Regina widens her eyes in disbelief, "You can't be serious, Emma." 

Emma scoffs, rubbing at her face and only then does Regina really take into account how tired she looks.

The sheriff stands, taking her dish and cutlery to the sink wordlessly and taking her wine in the living room, collapsing onto the loveseat less than ceremoniously. Regina follows suit, trying to be as quiet as possible as she rounds the couch to join Emma, who's resulted in burning her face in the palm of her hand 

They sit quietly for a moment, their legs brushing and skin touching every so often and it leaves Regina feeling like little sparks are coursing through her veins. Emma doesn't seem to notice the way Regina has a little space left next to the armrest, instead choosing to press into Emma more than need me.

"I'm sorry that I've been so preocupied with Hook," Emma starts, shifting to face Regina the best she can, "He just... he's my soulmate, you know?" 

Regina swallows, averting her eyes when the familiar bubbling green envy surfaces in her stomach. 

"And he isn't perfect, and I don't even really enjoy being around him really ever but... God, I mean I was alone for twenty-eight years, Regina. Sure, Neal was around for a bit but- the only thing I've ever wanted is to feel loved." Her voice wavers, vulnerable and cracking as her carefully constructed walls come crumbling down. "And Hook is a dick but he loves me and maybe that's just what my life is meant to be." 

Regina can't help it, she really can't when she has the urge to push Emma off the couch. So she does.  
"Ow, what the hell was that for?!"

Regina stands, towering over Emma, "Is that what you want? To be unhappy forever because, what? You're lonely?"

Emma rubs at the sore spot on her arm from where she landed, glaring and replies, "It's a happy ending. Fate. You of all people know how strong true love is."

Regina laughs boisterously and thinks it might be the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Because it is.

"And you think Hook is that?" Regina helps Emma to her feet, snapping her fingers so the wine and broken glass seeping into her plush white carpet vanishes without a trace. "You think that drunken greasy scoundrel that looks as if he let a child take a sharpie to his face is true love?" 

Regina laughs humourlessly, eyes flickering down to where Emma is twisting the cubic zirconia on her finger. It was sad, really, that a thieving pirate couldn't even get his true love a real diamond.   
Emma looks small, the way she's almost slinking into herself to take up less room in the spacious living area, and Regina watches. Watches how she shifts her weight from one foot to the other 

"You know Emma, you can lie to your family and to yourself but you can't lie to me." Emma looks up beneath her lashes, flashing an easy smile.   
"You're a Charming. People would fall over their feet just to get to you, and if not, they're more moronic then I thought." 

Emma adopts a smirk to her face that reminds Regina curiously of Henry when he's about to manipulate getting ice cream for dinner, "So are you moronic?" 

Regina blanches, "Excuse me?"

"Oh please," Emma sighs, "You can't seriously think we've been doing anything other than flirting for the last few years." 

Emma takes a step forward, resting her hand tentatively on the older woman's arm and flashing her a gentle smile, "The real reason me and Hook haven't been able to work, really ever, is because the entire time all I can ever think of and talk about is you... God, Regina, I've been crushing on you for so long."

Regina's heart is slamming against her ribs, so she swallows thickly and replies with, "Crushing? Are we suddenly children, Miss. Swan?"

Emma flushes that adorable red she always does when embarrassed, and Regina feels warm all over just from the sight of it. 

“Well, if you insist on using such simple minded language then... I suppose I have a crush on you too, Emma.”

Emma beams, wrapping Regina up in a bone crushing hug that knocks them both breathless and Regina is quite sure Emma can feel and hear how loud her heart is beating.

Then, the doorbell rings.

Regina tenses in Emma's arms, and without even looking at her she can see the cogs beneath blonde tresses clunking in thought.

"Who's that?" Emma mumbles, the vibrations tickling Regina's neck in a way that has her entire body flushing in chills. 

"Ignore it." Regina feels like she's close to weeping, having Emma this close just for that crooked hooked man to come and ruin it.

when knuckles begin wrapping insistently on the door, Regina disentangles herself and runs a hand through her hair, conceding, "Your fiancé."

Emma guffaws, "My fiancé?" She shakes her head, yellow hair flying all around her and opens her mouth as if to protest when she hears that awful sound like nail on a chalkboard: Killian's singing.

"What the fuck, Regina?" Emma hisses out, ducking down behind the couch as if Hook would be able to see her through a wall, "What is he doing here?!"

Regina huffs, rolling her eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time around the sheriff and fixes her dress out from beneath her. 

"Looking for you." 

Emma just gapes, watching as Regina traipses over to the front door, "Regina!" She hisses out, eyes darting around nervously in case Hook heard her. Regina ignores her, throwing the door open with more vigour then she ever had when facing Hook before.

"Regina, is Swan-"

Regina doesn't even bother to hide the shit eating grin from her face, "Yes, actually, Emma is here!" 

Killian's face lights up for a moment, going to step over the threshold with one of her boots when the front door slams in his face and knocks him to the ground where he's left groaning. 

Emma's eyebrows are in her hairline, watching as Regina twirls with her dress chasing after her and struts toward her- her face stony with that same Mayoral confidence she waltzes into every town meeting with, eyes emblazoned with something terrifying and seductive and powerful and has Emma left standing breathless and wobbly in the knees.

When Regina is a hair away from her like they had been in the Sheriff's office- reaching out to cup Emma's cheeks and searching her for something she couldn't quite pinpoint, she speaks. "Do you want to marry Hook?" 

Emma shakes her head fervently.

"-Do you have romantic feelings for him in any way?" 

Emma shakes her head furiously.

"-Do you want to kiss me as badly as I want to kiss you right now?"

Emma nods violently enough that her neck feels like it's going to roll right off her shoulders, and Regina seems to notice because she snakes a hand to curve behind Emma's neck while the other is cupping her blushing cheek , drawing her into a searing kiss.

Emma tastes like Pinot Grigio and coffee and something uniquely earthy and her and it's perfect. Emma kisses back with vigour, her hands finding purchase on dress-clad hips, pulling the other woman impossibly closer. 

And of course, Hook beings to wail outside the door. Emma groans, trying to chase Regina’s retreating lips. 

“Go on up to bed, I’ll join you in a moment.” Regina murmurs against Emma’s neck, her breath tickling the flushed skin 

“Guest room?” Emma asks, trying to keep the disappointment out of her words

“No, you moron,” Regina laughs, “My room.” she softens upon seeing the little shine of hope in brown eyes gazing up at her, “Only if you’re okay with that. No pressure..”

Emma bites back a grin when Regina runs a thumb against her cheek, leaning up to peck her lips, “Of course I am. Mind if I borrow a t-shirt?”

Regina’s heart swells, feeling a squeal bubbling up in her throat at how soft and small Emma looks. She only manages to nod, feeling glued and awestruck to the floor even when Emma runs off to bound up the stairs.

“Mills!” Came Hook’s shrill whine.

Regina groans, twirling on her heel and marching toward the door, immidetely sobering up when she was met with Hook’s stupid face 

“So? Are you going to let me talk to my fiancé now?”

His voice and face is smug and it makes Regina’s blood boil. She narrows her eyes, saying, “No. I have a message from her however.”

Regina offers up a fist, flipping it over to reveal Emma's engagement ring resting in her palm.  
“Maybe now you can take your hook and go fuck yourself, Jones.”


End file.
